12.27.2012
No Internet
So we had a good snow storm last week and our Internet stopped working that day. It wasn't surprising to me. It didn't come back the next day. It still didn't surprise me. It didn't come back the next day and I started to wonder. But I got lost in Christmas celebrations and didn't have time to call. It was actually kind of nice to not have the option to spend time on Facebook or aimlessly browsing around. So finally a week later I called our provider and discovered our router went bad and had to order a new one. We will spend another week internetless. I'm slightly annoyed now but am really thankful we updated Justin's phone so I can at least stay in touch with it. But my snowman pictures, Christmas pictures, and other regular internet activities will just have to wait. Because typing this post when I can't see what I'm typing is really annoying. And I'm sure my husband would like his phone back.
12.19.2012
Winnie the Pooh
Last Saturday we took Aria to the play, "Winnie the Pooh and the Christmas Tail" at the Old Creamery Theater in the Amanas. It was excellent! It was our first adventure to that theater and we were highly impressed. We had fabulous seats, second row in the middle, but I don't think there would have been a bad seat in the house. Everything having to do with the actors and performance was really awesome. Personally, I thought Eeyore was the best. The guy really had the woe-is-me character perfect. Of course, Aria's favorite was Winnie the Pooh. The story was cut from the Winnie the Pooh movie in which Eeyore has lost his tail. They set it on Christmas Eve for this play and cut out the 'back son' part from the movie. Aria followed along very closely and was entertained the entire time. The best part for her was the autograph/picture sessions you could have with the characters once it was over. Yes, I am going to include her picture with each character because she was so excited about each one. They all commented on her Pooh and Piglet shirt she had to wear to the show.
I only have two small complaints about the theater. The showtime was 11:00 am. This is geared toward young audiences, people, why are you having a show during lunch time? It didn't actually start until at least 11:15. Then, there was an intermission from 11:45 to 12:00 and it was over by 12:15. I thought it was very silly to have an intermission when such a short portion of play was left.
That being said, we would still go to a children's play there again. Aria had such an awesome time and the actors and show were done so wonderfully! I just love the opportunities we get to share with our daughter!
I only have two small complaints about the theater. The showtime was 11:00 am. This is geared toward young audiences, people, why are you having a show during lunch time? It didn't actually start until at least 11:15. Then, there was an intermission from 11:45 to 12:00 and it was over by 12:15. I thought it was very silly to have an intermission when such a short portion of play was left.
That being said, we would still go to a children's play there again. Aria had such an awesome time and the actors and show were done so wonderfully! I just love the opportunities we get to share with our daughter!
12.18.2012
Adventures
I'll apologize for lack of grammar rules up front...
Right before nap time today, Aria took me on an adventure. First we rode a train through the snow to the zoo. We needed the car keys to turn on the train, but it didn't make any noise because it wasn't a real train, just a pretend one. All of a sudden something was chasing us so we had to leave the train and run to the car (one set of stairs to the other). Then we had to use the keys to drive to see the bug exhibit. The first bugs we saw were snails. The Mommy and Daddy snails were on the ceiling and the babies were on the floor. They are slow snails. One snail was on my head and eating my hair. Then we were going to see the spiders, but they were locked up in a cage (the refrigerator). We couldn't touch them (thank goodness). After the spiders we had to run and see the horses in the field. There were purple ones and green ones and black ones and brown ones.
At that point it was nap time, otherwise I'm not sure where we would have gone next. I just love her imagination and had to capture it just a little bit! :)
Right before nap time today, Aria took me on an adventure. First we rode a train through the snow to the zoo. We needed the car keys to turn on the train, but it didn't make any noise because it wasn't a real train, just a pretend one. All of a sudden something was chasing us so we had to leave the train and run to the car (one set of stairs to the other). Then we had to use the keys to drive to see the bug exhibit. The first bugs we saw were snails. The Mommy and Daddy snails were on the ceiling and the babies were on the floor. They are slow snails. One snail was on my head and eating my hair. Then we were going to see the spiders, but they were locked up in a cage (the refrigerator). We couldn't touch them (thank goodness). After the spiders we had to run and see the horses in the field. There were purple ones and green ones and black ones and brown ones.
At that point it was nap time, otherwise I'm not sure where we would have gone next. I just love her imagination and had to capture it just a little bit! :)
12.16.2012
Truth in the Tinsel 7-12
I must say my excitement for our Truth in the Tinsel lessons and crafts has diminished just a little bit. When I first glanced through it I didn't think there was quite as much focus on just the birth of Jesus story. I thought there was more about who Jesus is in general. However, I feel like I am repeating myself a little bit with some of the lessons, as I will note below. I do still like it. Aria is still excited about it. I just wish I would have taken a little more time to tweak it myself first.
Day 7: Mary's Song. This is my least favorite lesson so far. Mary's song from Luke 1: 46-56 is not in any of Aria's Bibles. It mentions that she sang to God, but doesn't give any words. I also wish there was some kind of musical recording of Mary's song, but I don't know of any. I don't mind, so much, talking with Aria about Mary singing a song. In fact it is a nice connection to Aria's love for singing. The craft, however, was kind of silly. We took a blank cd and decorated it. I'm not sure why. I didn't even know what to tell Aria when she asked why we were decorating it, other than to make it look pretty. Oh well. I'm not even going to put a picture because it isn't a very good picture and it really is a cd with some sequins and glitter glue on it.
Day 8: Rising Sun. This is from Zechariah's response when his son, John the Baptist, is born. He describes Jesus as the "rising sun" who will "shine on those living in darkness." It is from Luke 1: 57-80. It was a good connection to day 1 when we talked about Jesus as the light of the world. This is the kind of lesson I like, slightly outside the regular Christmas story box. The craft was fun, too. It is a glitter foam sun!
Day 9: Joseph. Back to the regular Christmas story, but I didn't really mind making a Joseph to go with the Mary we made in day 5. Joseph was Jesus' earthly father. He obeyed God and married Mary even though it probably seemed very strange to him that she was pregnant by God. Aria liked that we now have a matching set.
Notice the snowpants she's wearing in the picture. It was really exciting that we got a very small bit of snow, so we had to wear the snowpants. :)
Day 10: Joseph's dream. This is where it gets too repetitive for me. We just talked about Joseph yesterday and we talked about his dream when the angel told him to marry Mary and name the baby Jesus. Now we are taking a day to just focus on the dream. The Scripture was the same for both days, Matthew 1: 18-25. There is so much more to Jesus, I just didn't think we needed to do two days of Joseph and his dream. However, this craft was pretty cute; a pillow for Joseph. We used felt, threaded it with pipe cleaners and stuffed it with cotton balls. Not sure Joseph would have chose (or even had the option for) a pink pillow, but that's ok.
Day 11: Names of Jesus. This is one of my favorites in the group. I did change it from the book slightly. The lesson talked about how the angel told Mary and Joseph to name the baby Jesus. It talked about how Jesus means "God saves" and Immanuel, which means "God with us." The craft said to glue a bunch of small random names on a stick then glue a big Jesus on top to show He is the name above all names. I like that, but I didn't know if Aria would completely get it. Instead, I decided to find all the names for Jesus and glue them on the stick. We talked about the different names we use for Jesus when we talk to him. The first one Aria said was, "God." I thought that was cool. On the name stick we glued God, Savior, Lord, King, Wonderful Counselor, Father, Immanuel, Prince of Peace, Christ, Holy, I Am, Shepherd, Mighty God, and maybe some more that I am forgetting. The we glued big J-E-S-U-S letters on top. It was a fun conversation and cool to see that Aria does recognize there are several names for Jesus. We referred back to Isaiah 9 for some of the names. We also talked about some of her nicknames, which was fun, too.
Day 12: Census. This lesson was about why Mary and Joseph had to go to Bethlehem, to be counted. We're back to the specifics of the Christmas story. I don't mind talking about them going to Bethlehem for the census, but there isn't much more to say than just that. The craft was unique and fun, though. We used food coloring and "hanitizer" to dye rice. (Not sure the purpose of the hand sanitizer, but it did smell good.) Aria chose red rice. We shook it all up in a bag then left it on a tray to dry. Once the rice was dry, Aria put it in a jar with two small, random game pieces we designated as Mary and Joseph. We wrote their names on them and put faces on them. When the lid is screwed on tight, Aria can shake the jar and move it around to try and find Mary and Joseph amongst all the people that went to Bethlehem. It was a good visual to show that Mary and Joseph were a part of a big crowd, which leads to why they have to stay in a stable.
Day 7: Mary's Song. This is my least favorite lesson so far. Mary's song from Luke 1: 46-56 is not in any of Aria's Bibles. It mentions that she sang to God, but doesn't give any words. I also wish there was some kind of musical recording of Mary's song, but I don't know of any. I don't mind, so much, talking with Aria about Mary singing a song. In fact it is a nice connection to Aria's love for singing. The craft, however, was kind of silly. We took a blank cd and decorated it. I'm not sure why. I didn't even know what to tell Aria when she asked why we were decorating it, other than to make it look pretty. Oh well. I'm not even going to put a picture because it isn't a very good picture and it really is a cd with some sequins and glitter glue on it.
Day 8: Rising Sun. This is from Zechariah's response when his son, John the Baptist, is born. He describes Jesus as the "rising sun" who will "shine on those living in darkness." It is from Luke 1: 57-80. It was a good connection to day 1 when we talked about Jesus as the light of the world. This is the kind of lesson I like, slightly outside the regular Christmas story box. The craft was fun, too. It is a glitter foam sun!
Day 9: Joseph. Back to the regular Christmas story, but I didn't really mind making a Joseph to go with the Mary we made in day 5. Joseph was Jesus' earthly father. He obeyed God and married Mary even though it probably seemed very strange to him that she was pregnant by God. Aria liked that we now have a matching set.
Day 10: Joseph's dream. This is where it gets too repetitive for me. We just talked about Joseph yesterday and we talked about his dream when the angel told him to marry Mary and name the baby Jesus. Now we are taking a day to just focus on the dream. The Scripture was the same for both days, Matthew 1: 18-25. There is so much more to Jesus, I just didn't think we needed to do two days of Joseph and his dream. However, this craft was pretty cute; a pillow for Joseph. We used felt, threaded it with pipe cleaners and stuffed it with cotton balls. Not sure Joseph would have chose (or even had the option for) a pink pillow, but that's ok.
Day 11: Names of Jesus. This is one of my favorites in the group. I did change it from the book slightly. The lesson talked about how the angel told Mary and Joseph to name the baby Jesus. It talked about how Jesus means "God saves" and Immanuel, which means "God with us." The craft said to glue a bunch of small random names on a stick then glue a big Jesus on top to show He is the name above all names. I like that, but I didn't know if Aria would completely get it. Instead, I decided to find all the names for Jesus and glue them on the stick. We talked about the different names we use for Jesus when we talk to him. The first one Aria said was, "God." I thought that was cool. On the name stick we glued God, Savior, Lord, King, Wonderful Counselor, Father, Immanuel, Prince of Peace, Christ, Holy, I Am, Shepherd, Mighty God, and maybe some more that I am forgetting. The we glued big J-E-S-U-S letters on top. It was a fun conversation and cool to see that Aria does recognize there are several names for Jesus. We referred back to Isaiah 9 for some of the names. We also talked about some of her nicknames, which was fun, too.
Day 12: Census. This lesson was about why Mary and Joseph had to go to Bethlehem, to be counted. We're back to the specifics of the Christmas story. I don't mind talking about them going to Bethlehem for the census, but there isn't much more to say than just that. The craft was unique and fun, though. We used food coloring and "hanitizer" to dye rice. (Not sure the purpose of the hand sanitizer, but it did smell good.) Aria chose red rice. We shook it all up in a bag then left it on a tray to dry. Once the rice was dry, Aria put it in a jar with two small, random game pieces we designated as Mary and Joseph. We wrote their names on them and put faces on them. When the lid is screwed on tight, Aria can shake the jar and move it around to try and find Mary and Joseph amongst all the people that went to Bethlehem. It was a good visual to show that Mary and Joseph were a part of a big crowd, which leads to why they have to stay in a stable.
12.14.2012
Happy Birthday Daddy
My Daddy Top Ten
1. He laughs at me.
2. He plays beach ball.
3. He plays balloon.
4. He makes funny noises.
5. He bounces.
6. I like to make waffles with him.
7. I like to go to Menards with him.
8. I like to go to church with him.
9. I like to play games with him.
10. He makes me laugh.
Happy 31st Birthday Daddy!
I love you!
Aria
1. He laughs at me.
2. He plays beach ball.
3. He plays balloon.
4. He makes funny noises.
5. He bounces.
6. I like to make waffles with him.
7. I like to go to Menards with him.
8. I like to go to church with him.
9. I like to play games with him.
10. He makes me laugh.
Happy 31st Birthday Daddy!
I love you!
Aria
12.12.2012
Jesus Storybook Bible
Last week our local Christian book store had a "12 Days of Christmas" deal for the Jesus Storybook Bible for only $5. I had heard a lot of great things about the Bible, but hadn't got it for us yet, thinking it was a little too advanced for Aria. I figured $5 was too hard to beat and with so many friends' recommendation, I should purchase it even if we didn't use it for a year or so.
Just kidding...we can definitely use it now! And it is phenomenal! It is every bit as awesome as my friends have described it and more. Aria has wanted to read from it every day, so I know she loves it, too. It is as the title describes, a 'storybook' Bible. It puts the Bible stories into more of a story telling format that very obviously appeals to Aria. For example, the characters speak and God speaks to them. That makes them come to life so much more. But the best part is that it speaks God's love through every story. It doesn't just tell the story and move on. It is almost like having a study Bible for adults. It helps kids recognize on their level what the story truly means. We read Jonah this morning. First of all, they way it pointed out Jonah's disobedience was exactly how Aria could understand it. Then, it made sure to say that God still loved Jonah and no matter how much he tried to hide, God could always find him. Awesome! Then, at the end it tied in Jesus. Jonah was a special messenger to the people of Nineveh. Jesus was a special messenger to us; both spreading the news of God's love for us.
It is just so great! I highly recommend you get a copy!
Just kidding...we can definitely use it now! And it is phenomenal! It is every bit as awesome as my friends have described it and more. Aria has wanted to read from it every day, so I know she loves it, too. It is as the title describes, a 'storybook' Bible. It puts the Bible stories into more of a story telling format that very obviously appeals to Aria. For example, the characters speak and God speaks to them. That makes them come to life so much more. But the best part is that it speaks God's love through every story. It doesn't just tell the story and move on. It is almost like having a study Bible for adults. It helps kids recognize on their level what the story truly means. We read Jonah this morning. First of all, they way it pointed out Jonah's disobedience was exactly how Aria could understand it. Then, it made sure to say that God still loved Jonah and no matter how much he tried to hide, God could always find him. Awesome! Then, at the end it tied in Jesus. Jonah was a special messenger to the people of Nineveh. Jesus was a special messenger to us; both spreading the news of God's love for us.
It is just so great! I highly recommend you get a copy!
12.11.2012
Recent Comments
Aria did something I did not approve of (I don't remember what) and I learned I have a "mom look." She said, "Don't have that look on your face, mom."
"Daddy, what's wrong with your hair? Did you comb it that way or something?"
In regular conversation during dinner, I said I was hopin' to do something. Aria didn't hear me correctly and she said, "Mommy, you're not open. You don't have a door on your face!"
Fullfilling her duty of putting away the socks, "Mommy, where is the other sock that matches this one?" I don't know, Aria. "It must be at the Hiawatha Library."
"Mom, lets play a game. It's called mouthwash. It's kind of like tag and you do this (she twists around)."
"Daddy, what's wrong with your hair? Did you comb it that way or something?"
In regular conversation during dinner, I said I was hopin' to do something. Aria didn't hear me correctly and she said, "Mommy, you're not open. You don't have a door on your face!"
Fullfilling her duty of putting away the socks, "Mommy, where is the other sock that matches this one?" I don't know, Aria. "It must be at the Hiawatha Library."
"Mom, lets play a game. It's called mouthwash. It's kind of like tag and you do this (she twists around)."
12.10.2012
Give This Christmas Away
I'm sitting here this afternoon with two very convicting thoughts playing over and over again in my head. The first is the song, Give This Christmas Away, by Matthew West and Amy Grant. The second is this podcast, sent to me by a friend called, Teaching Kids About Christmas. I just can't get past the truth that is spoken in both of those messages.
I thought I was doing pretty good. We've limited ourselves to 3 Christmas presents for Aria. Justin and I are getting only 2 each. We don't do Santa, the elf thing, or much of any of the secular Christmas stuff. We're doing the Truth in the Tinsel stuff and playing with our nativity scenes. We've done some giving in other areas and had some ideas for people that are unique that I won't go into detail because they are probably reading this, but I can't help but feel it is not enough.
In the podcast, Phil Vischer explains that the early Christians barely celebrated the birth of Christ. Easter was the big deal, as it should be. In fact, according to Mr. Vischer, birthdays in general were not a big deal in the early days. A lot of the Christmas traditions that happen today were started when Martin Luther split off from the Catholic church. When that split occurred, the Protestants stopped recognizing saints, which included Saint Nicholas. I posted about him last year. Saint Nicholas gave money and gifts to the poor secretly in the night. He lived only a few hundred years after Jesus and was following Jesus' lead of giving to the poor. A tradition was started to give gifts in the night in honor of Saint Nicholas on his birthday, December 6. But, when the Protestants stopped with the saints, people didn't want to stop giving gifts, so they transferred it to Christmas. I've done some research on this, but mostly that is the message I got from Phil Vischer in his podcast.
As I sit here and think about the real meaning of Christmas, I know it is the celebration of Jesus' birth. And I believe it is worth celebrating. I'm just not sure my heart is in the right place all the time during this Christmas season. Here is what keeps playing through my mind. I know we have taught Aria that Christmas is Jesus' birthday. I know she would tell you that if you asked her. She has the standard answer hooked in her head. But are we showing her it is Jesus' birthday with our actions? Does my attitude reflect a focus on Jesus instead of what I want this year? The list of things I would like that I gave to my husband certainly does not indicate that focus.
I read somewhere that Christmas is Jesus' birthday, not your child's. I thought that was a wonderful quote. January 29 is the day for me to spoil my daughter silly and celebrate who she is with lots of presents, cake, ice cream, and love, not December 25. However, as Christmas draws closer and we spend 4 days traveling about opening present after present, I'm crazy if I think Aria will remember that it is Jesus' birthday. All she is going to remember are the presents. She is only 2 after all. I feel helpless as I think about how much I try to limit our giving, yet it is still outrageous. I think about the presents she'll get from grandmas and grandpas and aunts and friends. And I know I'll be getting presents from all those people, too. I don't think it is wrong to give gifts to people you love. It is one way to show people you love them and care about them. Love your neighbor as yourself is the second greatest commandment. I'm just realizing how overboard all this Christmas stuff can be. How do I change it? How do I keep the focus on Jesus? How can I show that to my daughter and to all those around us?
These are the thoughts God has laid on my heart today. He did so through a song and a podcast. I feel convicted to change how I view Christmas and how I celebrate. The change is hard. I have 30 years of Christmas memories and traditions to wrestle with. I love the thought of the anticipation for waking up Christmas morning as a family of 3 and spending time together opening presents. That is my longest memory of Christmas, celebrating with my mom and dad in our family of 3 on Christmas morning. But we have yet to do that. Celebrating with our families makes it too difficult to make that happen. Yet I ask myself, what would that time on Christmas morning really mean? Again, my first thought is opening presents together and that is not what it's all about.
We still set aside a special time for our family of 3 and we have some traditions that have already begun in our two Christmases with a child. We will read the story of Jesus' birth from the Bible before we open presents. This year I even have an idea for acting it out. We make some sort of special treat for Jesus' birthday. We turn off our phones. We don't watch tv. We spend time together and show our love by giving gifts. But I'm still left wondering, how can I change my heart to totally focus all of Christmas on Jesus?
Teach me, oh God, how you want me to celebrate. Show me what your intentions are for this holiday and help me relinquish mine.
I thought I was doing pretty good. We've limited ourselves to 3 Christmas presents for Aria. Justin and I are getting only 2 each. We don't do Santa, the elf thing, or much of any of the secular Christmas stuff. We're doing the Truth in the Tinsel stuff and playing with our nativity scenes. We've done some giving in other areas and had some ideas for people that are unique that I won't go into detail because they are probably reading this, but I can't help but feel it is not enough.
In the podcast, Phil Vischer explains that the early Christians barely celebrated the birth of Christ. Easter was the big deal, as it should be. In fact, according to Mr. Vischer, birthdays in general were not a big deal in the early days. A lot of the Christmas traditions that happen today were started when Martin Luther split off from the Catholic church. When that split occurred, the Protestants stopped recognizing saints, which included Saint Nicholas. I posted about him last year. Saint Nicholas gave money and gifts to the poor secretly in the night. He lived only a few hundred years after Jesus and was following Jesus' lead of giving to the poor. A tradition was started to give gifts in the night in honor of Saint Nicholas on his birthday, December 6. But, when the Protestants stopped with the saints, people didn't want to stop giving gifts, so they transferred it to Christmas. I've done some research on this, but mostly that is the message I got from Phil Vischer in his podcast.
As I sit here and think about the real meaning of Christmas, I know it is the celebration of Jesus' birth. And I believe it is worth celebrating. I'm just not sure my heart is in the right place all the time during this Christmas season. Here is what keeps playing through my mind. I know we have taught Aria that Christmas is Jesus' birthday. I know she would tell you that if you asked her. She has the standard answer hooked in her head. But are we showing her it is Jesus' birthday with our actions? Does my attitude reflect a focus on Jesus instead of what I want this year? The list of things I would like that I gave to my husband certainly does not indicate that focus.
I read somewhere that Christmas is Jesus' birthday, not your child's. I thought that was a wonderful quote. January 29 is the day for me to spoil my daughter silly and celebrate who she is with lots of presents, cake, ice cream, and love, not December 25. However, as Christmas draws closer and we spend 4 days traveling about opening present after present, I'm crazy if I think Aria will remember that it is Jesus' birthday. All she is going to remember are the presents. She is only 2 after all. I feel helpless as I think about how much I try to limit our giving, yet it is still outrageous. I think about the presents she'll get from grandmas and grandpas and aunts and friends. And I know I'll be getting presents from all those people, too. I don't think it is wrong to give gifts to people you love. It is one way to show people you love them and care about them. Love your neighbor as yourself is the second greatest commandment. I'm just realizing how overboard all this Christmas stuff can be. How do I change it? How do I keep the focus on Jesus? How can I show that to my daughter and to all those around us?
These are the thoughts God has laid on my heart today. He did so through a song and a podcast. I feel convicted to change how I view Christmas and how I celebrate. The change is hard. I have 30 years of Christmas memories and traditions to wrestle with. I love the thought of the anticipation for waking up Christmas morning as a family of 3 and spending time together opening presents. That is my longest memory of Christmas, celebrating with my mom and dad in our family of 3 on Christmas morning. But we have yet to do that. Celebrating with our families makes it too difficult to make that happen. Yet I ask myself, what would that time on Christmas morning really mean? Again, my first thought is opening presents together and that is not what it's all about.
We still set aside a special time for our family of 3 and we have some traditions that have already begun in our two Christmases with a child. We will read the story of Jesus' birth from the Bible before we open presents. This year I even have an idea for acting it out. We make some sort of special treat for Jesus' birthday. We turn off our phones. We don't watch tv. We spend time together and show our love by giving gifts. But I'm still left wondering, how can I change my heart to totally focus all of Christmas on Jesus?
Teach me, oh God, how you want me to celebrate. Show me what your intentions are for this holiday and help me relinquish mine.
12.08.2012
More Truth in the Tinsel
I wrote about the first day of Truth in the Tinsel in its own post. I would like to give myself a brief update of each day so I can have some notes to use it again in the future. So here are the next few days...
Day 1 was Jesus is the Light of the World. I used John 8:12 because it was easier for Aria to understand than the really long Scripture suggested in the book.
Day 2: Jesus is King! The Scripture is Isaiah 9:2-7. The craft was a crown for Jesus made out of a toilet paper roll. The book suggested painting the roll, but we had just painted a different project and I didn't feel like getting it out again, so we used an idea I found on a different website and used double-sided tape and glitter and shook it up inside a ziploc bag. Aria also glued some "jewels" to the crown. It was definitely fit for a king!
This was her "I don't want to smile with my crown" face.
Day 3: Zachariah. The Scripture is Luke 1:5-25. Aria knows this story well and also makes the connection to Abraham and Sarah...two old couples who weren't expecting to have babies. She really liked being goofy and trying to talk with our mouths shut. The craft was a Zachariah face with a balloon for the mouth that was tied shut so he couldn't talk.
Day 4: The angel Gabriel. Scripture Luke 1:26-38. For most of these stories I have used Aria's Bible to read them. They are much more at her level than reading my Bible. This was the first craft I didn't like. It is a really cool, beautiful angel, but Aria couldn't do any of the craft. So, I improvised and let her cover the angel in glitter. The angel is a jingle bell for a head, pipe cleaner for wings, and wrapping paper for a body.
Day 5: Mary. Scripture Luke 1:26-38, same as day 4. Again, Aria knows who Mary is and the story of the angel coming to tell her she would be pregnant. The craft is Mary made out of a clothespin, decorated with felt, glitter glue, and sequins.
Day 6: Mary and Elizabeth. Scripture Luke 1:39-45. I had to use my Bible for this one. Aria's Bible talks about Mary and Elizabeth, but not how Mary went to visit Elizabeth once she was pregnant and how Elizabeth's baby leaped for joy when Mary arrived. We liked talking about babies and looking at Aria's ultrasound pictures and pictures of my big belly with her inside. The craft was two paper dolls for the two women. Aria painted them first. Then we glued a cardboard dot on their bellies and then then pregnant ball to represent the babies. I didn't get any painting pictures because I didn't want paint everywhere while I went to get the camera. :)
Day 1 was Jesus is the Light of the World. I used John 8:12 because it was easier for Aria to understand than the really long Scripture suggested in the book.
Day 2: Jesus is King! The Scripture is Isaiah 9:2-7. The craft was a crown for Jesus made out of a toilet paper roll. The book suggested painting the roll, but we had just painted a different project and I didn't feel like getting it out again, so we used an idea I found on a different website and used double-sided tape and glitter and shook it up inside a ziploc bag. Aria also glued some "jewels" to the crown. It was definitely fit for a king!
This was her "I don't want to smile with my crown" face.
Day 3: Zachariah. The Scripture is Luke 1:5-25. Aria knows this story well and also makes the connection to Abraham and Sarah...two old couples who weren't expecting to have babies. She really liked being goofy and trying to talk with our mouths shut. The craft was a Zachariah face with a balloon for the mouth that was tied shut so he couldn't talk.
Day 4: The angel Gabriel. Scripture Luke 1:26-38. For most of these stories I have used Aria's Bible to read them. They are much more at her level than reading my Bible. This was the first craft I didn't like. It is a really cool, beautiful angel, but Aria couldn't do any of the craft. So, I improvised and let her cover the angel in glitter. The angel is a jingle bell for a head, pipe cleaner for wings, and wrapping paper for a body.
Day 5: Mary. Scripture Luke 1:26-38, same as day 4. Again, Aria knows who Mary is and the story of the angel coming to tell her she would be pregnant. The craft is Mary made out of a clothespin, decorated with felt, glitter glue, and sequins.
Day 6: Mary and Elizabeth. Scripture Luke 1:39-45. I had to use my Bible for this one. Aria's Bible talks about Mary and Elizabeth, but not how Mary went to visit Elizabeth once she was pregnant and how Elizabeth's baby leaped for joy when Mary arrived. We liked talking about babies and looking at Aria's ultrasound pictures and pictures of my big belly with her inside. The craft was two paper dolls for the two women. Aria painted them first. Then we glued a cardboard dot on their bellies and then then pregnant ball to represent the babies. I didn't get any painting pictures because I didn't want paint everywhere while I went to get the camera. :)
We are having fun with our "Jesus crafts." Aria asks about them every morning. I can already tell I will change a few things for the future and maybe try to make more time to plan what we do this year instead of just following the book. I like it, but I think we could do more and things just a bit different to fit Aria better. The good thing is she remembers the lessons and can tell us what each craft is for.
12.07.2012
Christmas Angels
Circa 1984--Julie 3 years, 3 months
Circa 2012--Aria 2 years 10 months
12.01.2012
Truth in the Tinsel
Last year I read the Christmas story to Aria every day leading up to Christmas. We put the felt pieces on our Nativity calendar and Aria totally understood that Christmas was Jesus' birthday. This year I want to go a bit deeper. She already knows the story of Jesus' birth. I want to start helping her learn more about why Jesus came to Earth. I've heard of a Jesse tree and thought I wanted to do that. But I was a little disappointed because it just seems to go through the Bible stories in chronological order. We've done that twice now in our daily Bible reading. My awesome and creative friend made her own version of a Jesse tree type activity last year with her kids and posted it all on her blog. I wanted to do something like her without copying her completely. I asked her for resources used and she pointed me to something else she'd heard of, Truth in the Tinsel. I really liked what I saw on their website and I purchased the ebook. I like to have a base to start from and then make it fit us.
Each lesson has Scripture to read, a craft to make, further discussion to have, and a 'go deeper' option. When I told Aria we were going to do a craft every day until Christmas to learn more about Jesus, she yelled out a big cheer. I guess that means she approves! Today we did the first lesson, which I call 'Jesus is the light of the world.'
I should have taken a close up of just the ornament, but you can pretty much see it in the tree picture. It is a black outline of a candle. Aria glued red, orange, and yellow tissue paper between the black outlines to give a fire color to it. Then we punched a hole on top, made it an ornament and put it on the "baby tree." We talked about how darkness is scary sometimes, but if you have Jesus in your heart, you will always be in the light. We did the craft right after breakfast this morning and the main idea stuck with Aria. Right before bedtime tonight she randomly exclaimed, Jesus is the light of the world! I'm looking forward to all 24 little lessons we will learn about Jesus this year!
Each lesson has Scripture to read, a craft to make, further discussion to have, and a 'go deeper' option. When I told Aria we were going to do a craft every day until Christmas to learn more about Jesus, she yelled out a big cheer. I guess that means she approves! Today we did the first lesson, which I call 'Jesus is the light of the world.'
I should have taken a close up of just the ornament, but you can pretty much see it in the tree picture. It is a black outline of a candle. Aria glued red, orange, and yellow tissue paper between the black outlines to give a fire color to it. Then we punched a hole on top, made it an ornament and put it on the "baby tree." We talked about how darkness is scary sometimes, but if you have Jesus in your heart, you will always be in the light. We did the craft right after breakfast this morning and the main idea stuck with Aria. Right before bedtime tonight she randomly exclaimed, Jesus is the light of the world! I'm looking forward to all 24 little lessons we will learn about Jesus this year!
11.30.2012
Gymnastics
Through our MOPS group we had an outing at a local gymnastics place this week! Aria had a blast on the trampoline, the obstacle course, and the "vault." She even got to make a jingle bell bracelet. I am so thankful for the opportunities we have through MOPS and in our community in general. Here is what I could capture in the midst of spotting my little gymnast for the day.
11.29.2012
The Reason for the Season
Today Aria and I went shopping at Menards for Christmas ornaments. Yes, Menards has some really cool ornaments, at a good price, too! We were browsing the ornaments when a grandma-looking woman entered the aisle. I don't remember how Aria struck up the conversation, but she said something to the woman and the woman answered her. Then, the woman asked my most dreaded question..."what do you want Santa to bring you for Christmas?" Last year I wrote this blog post describing my lack of interest in Santa. If you really want to read all about it you can. If not, I'll just say I don't like the idea of kids believing Santa comes to every house and brings presents and having that be the focus of Christmas.
Back to my Menards story. So, as has happened several times already when people ask Aria about Santa, she had no idea what to say. She doesn't even really know who Santa is and I'm glad she doesn't. But we don't want to be rude to the wonderful grandma-like people who engage Aria in conversation. When Aria didn't answer, the lady asked, "what would you like for Christmas?" Aria's response was a shy, "I don't know." I prompted her a little (and was a little curious myself) and asked her what present she would like. This was her response...
"I don't know, but I have this cool toy that we just got out to play with again. It is a baby Jesus nativity set!"
Way to go, Aria!! The lady's response was great, too. She said that was definitely the best kind of toy to have. While Aria wasn't really trying to witness to the woman, she did in her own little way. And it made my heart glad that Aria's focus for Christmas is Jesus. We've spent a lot of time reading the story of Jesus' birth. It is one of Aria's favorite Bible stories. She knows the story very well. We haven't started focusing on it yet this Christmas season. I have some activities planned to start December 1. But today I learned she definitely knows that Christmas is when we celebrate Jesus' birth. The lady was talking about Christmas and her mind drifted to the Little People nativity set we got out last week.
In all of my shopping, planning, and stress I hope my mind drifts to Jesus and the nativity set just like my daughter. Once again she is teaching me more than I ever thought possible.
Back to my Menards story. So, as has happened several times already when people ask Aria about Santa, she had no idea what to say. She doesn't even really know who Santa is and I'm glad she doesn't. But we don't want to be rude to the wonderful grandma-like people who engage Aria in conversation. When Aria didn't answer, the lady asked, "what would you like for Christmas?" Aria's response was a shy, "I don't know." I prompted her a little (and was a little curious myself) and asked her what present she would like. This was her response...
"I don't know, but I have this cool toy that we just got out to play with again. It is a baby Jesus nativity set!"
Way to go, Aria!! The lady's response was great, too. She said that was definitely the best kind of toy to have. While Aria wasn't really trying to witness to the woman, she did in her own little way. And it made my heart glad that Aria's focus for Christmas is Jesus. We've spent a lot of time reading the story of Jesus' birth. It is one of Aria's favorite Bible stories. She knows the story very well. We haven't started focusing on it yet this Christmas season. I have some activities planned to start December 1. But today I learned she definitely knows that Christmas is when we celebrate Jesus' birth. The lady was talking about Christmas and her mind drifted to the Little People nativity set we got out last week.
In all of my shopping, planning, and stress I hope my mind drifts to Jesus and the nativity set just like my daughter. Once again she is teaching me more than I ever thought possible.
11.28.2012
Blogging
I've been sitting here staring at my blog for the last several minutes. I'm staring specifically at the entry count by month. In January I was obsessed with doing one blog post per day and had 32 entries. It slowed down a bit in February and March with 22 and 20 and it keeps going down from there. I look at November and there are only 6 entries. What has happened to my blog, I ask myself? I love writing on my blog. My main purpose is a virtual baby book/scrap book for Aria. I have recorded a lot of her firsts and things I just don't want to forget. I also enjoy processing thoughts and topics of interest. It's not that Aria hasn't been doing anything cute lately, that happens every day. It's not that I don't have thoughts to process. It really isn't even that I don't have time, because I could choose to make the time. I just feel stuck. Almost daily I think about what to write on here. I have all kinds of ideas saved in a note in my phone (and, yes, this was one of them). When I get in front of the computer, I just can't seem to make it come out. If I were a writer, I would call it writer's block. I'm sure it will come back eventually and I might even produce a blog a day again sometime. For now, I'll just keep staring and hope something clicks and turns the blog writing mechanism in my brain back on.
11.20.2012
Cough Cough
For the past week and a half I have had the strangest cold virusy thing. I was convinced I had strep throat in the beginning because it was he worst sore throat I've had in a long time. Then it switched to a ridiculous, irritating, nothing will help it cough. And that is the part that lingers. The one bright spot through it all is my adorable daughter, serving me through it all. She has done things like..
remind me to cover my mouth when I cough
ask me if I need a cough drop (every single time I cough)
take my water bottle for Daddy to fill up with nice cold water
during one of my coughing fits tell me 'It's okay, Mommy, Jesus is with you!'
open my cough drops for me (it's excellent fine motor skill work)
allowed me to whisper books to her because it caused coughing fits to read out loud
happily ate ice cream shakes with me because that is the only thing that took away the pain
behaved wonderfully at the doctor's office while we waited on the (negative) strep test
then proclaimed she wants to be a doctor
got out her own snacks so I wouldn't touch them with my germs
Aria has loved to help since she was able, but this time around she really has been helpful. I love to see her servant heart and her genuine concern. I would prefer to be healthy, but I'll let Aria take care of me whenever I get the chance!
remind me to cover my mouth when I cough
ask me if I need a cough drop (every single time I cough)
take my water bottle for Daddy to fill up with nice cold water
during one of my coughing fits tell me 'It's okay, Mommy, Jesus is with you!'
open my cough drops for me (it's excellent fine motor skill work)
allowed me to whisper books to her because it caused coughing fits to read out loud
happily ate ice cream shakes with me because that is the only thing that took away the pain
behaved wonderfully at the doctor's office while we waited on the (negative) strep test
then proclaimed she wants to be a doctor
got out her own snacks so I wouldn't touch them with my germs
Aria has loved to help since she was able, but this time around she really has been helpful. I love to see her servant heart and her genuine concern. I would prefer to be healthy, but I'll let Aria take care of me whenever I get the chance!
11.19.2012
Patience Prevails
At first, I told myself I would not post anything about potty training for the public to read on Facebook or here on my blog. For some reason I just didn't think the world needed to know about Aria's pee and poop. The world probably doesn't need to know about her pee and poop, but I needed a place to get some encouragement through this long, difficult, frustrating, interesting process. Back in October I broke my own bond by seeking help from my fellow Facebook friends. We went through an intense-only-focus-on-potty-training-three-day-nightmare in our house and I needed some help. Aria was scared to go on the potty. It had nothing to do with keeping her undies dry. It had nothing to do with sitting on the potty, she just was scared of letting it come out anywhere but her diaper. Rewards didn't help. She was scared and I wasn't changing that.
Now that I am almost a month removed from that lovely three day nightmare, I realized I did it all wrong. The nightmare really had not much to do with Aria. I was bound and determined we were going to get her potty trained. I was intense, lacked patience, and was way too in her face about it all.
Aria is the reserved, sensitive type. She has always taken everything in from a distance before jumping in herself. And by jumping in I actually mean dipping in one toe. She is cautious. She needs time to decide when she is ready to do something. I'm not sure why I didn't apply that to potty training. In my somersault post the other day I talked about letting kids learn and do for themselves instead of forcing things upon them. I realized I needed to do that with potty training.
I am probably contradicting a lot of potty advice out there, but this is what worked for us: I put the ball in her court. I let Aria decide when she wanted to wear undies, which happened to be today. I reminded her that she needed to use the potty when she felt like she had to go. The one thing we did learn in our three day nightmare was that she could hold it. Like 5 hours hold it. Anyway, I was on the phone briefly this morning and Aria disappeared down the hall. About a minute later she came back and said, "Mommy, I'm just gonna go pee pee on the potty." I said okay and just let her go back and do it on her own. Pretty soon I heard, "Mommy I did it!" Sure enough she had went! I hadn't forced her. I hadn't even encouraged her. She decided to do it. I praised her with contained excitement because I didn't want a sudden outburst of joy to startle her. We continued about our morning and a little while later I found her in on the potty again. She had went again all on her own. It was fantastic!
The story gets even better. I have totally been expecting to do the pee pee first and worry about the poop later. She has been hiding behind the couch or in her room with the door shut for months when she goes poop. She can definitely control that. But, just before lunch time, Aria asked me to put a diaper on her. I said, "You've been doing such a good job going on the potty this morning, if you have to go, just go on the potty." Off she went down the hall. A few minutes later, she came running out to tell me she went poop. In. the. potty!!!!! Again, I used contained excitement, but she was awfully proud of herself, too. I cannot believe she did it, especially when I didn't have to do much to encourage her. It really worked for Aria to decide she was ready herself and to be willing to try it herself.
Aria is currently napping with a diaper on. I'm sure she's not 100% potty trained. I know there will be accidents, but today is a total break through for both of us. I wasn't planning to work on potty training today. Actually, I didn't really "work" on potty training today. Aria did it herself. Apparently today was the perfect day for her. I have learned a lot about my daughter's personality and my own short comings through this whole process. When it comes to skills like learning to use the potty, riding a bike, or playing basketball, I plan to let Aria decide when she is ready. I am here to encourage her and provide any help she requests, but I know she will be better off if I let her do it herself. I can't get in her face and I won't pressure her to do something she is not ready for.
It has been a long process, but today something clicked for Aria. I'm thankful for the patience God has given me to make it through it all.
Now that I am almost a month removed from that lovely three day nightmare, I realized I did it all wrong. The nightmare really had not much to do with Aria. I was bound and determined we were going to get her potty trained. I was intense, lacked patience, and was way too in her face about it all.
Aria is the reserved, sensitive type. She has always taken everything in from a distance before jumping in herself. And by jumping in I actually mean dipping in one toe. She is cautious. She needs time to decide when she is ready to do something. I'm not sure why I didn't apply that to potty training. In my somersault post the other day I talked about letting kids learn and do for themselves instead of forcing things upon them. I realized I needed to do that with potty training.
I am probably contradicting a lot of potty advice out there, but this is what worked for us: I put the ball in her court. I let Aria decide when she wanted to wear undies, which happened to be today. I reminded her that she needed to use the potty when she felt like she had to go. The one thing we did learn in our three day nightmare was that she could hold it. Like 5 hours hold it. Anyway, I was on the phone briefly this morning and Aria disappeared down the hall. About a minute later she came back and said, "Mommy, I'm just gonna go pee pee on the potty." I said okay and just let her go back and do it on her own. Pretty soon I heard, "Mommy I did it!" Sure enough she had went! I hadn't forced her. I hadn't even encouraged her. She decided to do it. I praised her with contained excitement because I didn't want a sudden outburst of joy to startle her. We continued about our morning and a little while later I found her in on the potty again. She had went again all on her own. It was fantastic!
The story gets even better. I have totally been expecting to do the pee pee first and worry about the poop later. She has been hiding behind the couch or in her room with the door shut for months when she goes poop. She can definitely control that. But, just before lunch time, Aria asked me to put a diaper on her. I said, "You've been doing such a good job going on the potty this morning, if you have to go, just go on the potty." Off she went down the hall. A few minutes later, she came running out to tell me she went poop. In. the. potty!!!!! Again, I used contained excitement, but she was awfully proud of herself, too. I cannot believe she did it, especially when I didn't have to do much to encourage her. It really worked for Aria to decide she was ready herself and to be willing to try it herself.
Aria is currently napping with a diaper on. I'm sure she's not 100% potty trained. I know there will be accidents, but today is a total break through for both of us. I wasn't planning to work on potty training today. Actually, I didn't really "work" on potty training today. Aria did it herself. Apparently today was the perfect day for her. I have learned a lot about my daughter's personality and my own short comings through this whole process. When it comes to skills like learning to use the potty, riding a bike, or playing basketball, I plan to let Aria decide when she is ready. I am here to encourage her and provide any help she requests, but I know she will be better off if I let her do it herself. I can't get in her face and I won't pressure her to do something she is not ready for.
It has been a long process, but today something clicked for Aria. I'm thankful for the patience God has given me to make it through it all.
11.17.2012
What Size?
I seriously dread the question, what size does Aria wear? I have absolutely no idea how to answer it. Let me explain. Aria has always had short legs. She gets those from her Daddy. She's not short, though, because they have extra long torsos. Last winter I had a really hard time finding pants because she needed the 2T for the waist, but they were way, way, way too long. I was thankful for brands that made 18-24 month, 24 month, and leggings. All of her shirts last winter were 2T. Naturally, this year I expected to move up a size to 3T shirts and have the same too long 3T pants problem. The good news is her legs have grown. The crazy news is she needs 4T shirts. Pretty much just skipped right over 3T shirts. She did have 3T shirts this summer, but size 3T was pretty short lived. Except for pants.
I'm already confused and I haven't even got into the most confusing part. When you move up to 4T there is that crazy question of toddler clothes or little girl clothes. Little girl clothes start at size 4. Last weekend I went shopping in a Carter's outlet store. I held up three sizes of the exact same shirt, wondering what to get Aria. The sizes were 4T, 4, and 5T. That is the order of size, too. The 5T was the biggest. The 4T was the smallest. The regular 4 was in between. I chose the regular 4. It fits Aria perfect. Some brands don't have a 5T, but most have a 4T, which apparently is generally a tad smaller than a regular 4. Phew! Who knew dressing my child would be this difficult!
Let me just give the run down of Aria's wardrobe...
Shirts: She has some 4T, 4, and a few 5T.
Pants: If they are jeans or zip/button type pants, 3T. If they are leggings, 4T.
Dresses: 4T
Don't even get me started on tights.
So when someone asks for Aria's size, do I give them all the above info? I wish I could just state a size and call it good. And, even though I have sort of narrowed down the different clothing parts, you always run the risk of a brand running big or small. For example, Aria has one pair of 24 month pants that still fit and has a regular size 4 coat that is too small.
What I have learned from all this is that my days of just buying clothes without trying them on are probably over. I took Aria into a dressing room at Target to try something on her for the first time this week. She thought it was fun. We'll see how long that lasts. I guess I don't buy clothes without trying them on. And it really depends on brand for what size I wear, too. I know I have shirts that are small, medium, and large. Why would I expect kids clothes to be any different? Let's face it, all people are shaped just a little bit differently. Clothing companies can't make clothes that will fit everyone perfectly.
But if you want to know what size Aria wears, you're going to have to let me know what type of clothes you want to buy or be sure to include a gift receipt so we can exchange if it doesn't fit! :)
I'm already confused and I haven't even got into the most confusing part. When you move up to 4T there is that crazy question of toddler clothes or little girl clothes. Little girl clothes start at size 4. Last weekend I went shopping in a Carter's outlet store. I held up three sizes of the exact same shirt, wondering what to get Aria. The sizes were 4T, 4, and 5T. That is the order of size, too. The 5T was the biggest. The 4T was the smallest. The regular 4 was in between. I chose the regular 4. It fits Aria perfect. Some brands don't have a 5T, but most have a 4T, which apparently is generally a tad smaller than a regular 4. Phew! Who knew dressing my child would be this difficult!
Let me just give the run down of Aria's wardrobe...
Shirts: She has some 4T, 4, and a few 5T.
Pants: If they are jeans or zip/button type pants, 3T. If they are leggings, 4T.
Dresses: 4T
Don't even get me started on tights.
So when someone asks for Aria's size, do I give them all the above info? I wish I could just state a size and call it good. And, even though I have sort of narrowed down the different clothing parts, you always run the risk of a brand running big or small. For example, Aria has one pair of 24 month pants that still fit and has a regular size 4 coat that is too small.
What I have learned from all this is that my days of just buying clothes without trying them on are probably over. I took Aria into a dressing room at Target to try something on her for the first time this week. She thought it was fun. We'll see how long that lasts. I guess I don't buy clothes without trying them on. And it really depends on brand for what size I wear, too. I know I have shirts that are small, medium, and large. Why would I expect kids clothes to be any different? Let's face it, all people are shaped just a little bit differently. Clothing companies can't make clothes that will fit everyone perfectly.
But if you want to know what size Aria wears, you're going to have to let me know what type of clothes you want to buy or be sure to include a gift receipt so we can exchange if it doesn't fit! :)
11.14.2012
Somersault
Today Aria taught herself to do a somersault. I was doing some laundry and Aria kept yelling from the other room, "Mommy, come watch me!" You never know what you're going to see when Aria makes that request and I certainly wasn't expecting a somersault today. The only connection I can make is from a couple weeks ago when her friends Caleb and Sophia were over at our house showing off their somersaults, learned in gymnastics. Aria tried to do it when they were, but couldn't. We haven't done them or even talked about them since, but all of a sudden today she was doing it. And, believe me, she made great use of her new skill today.
I think my favorite part about the somersaults is her huge smile. She is so proud of herself for figuring it out. I don't think she is quite able to express verbally her sense of accomplishment, but I can tell that she is extra proud that she figured it out on her own without any help from Mommy or Daddy. Seeing that beaming smile helps me realize how valuable it is to let kids do and learn for themselves. It will mean so much more to Aria to make discoveries on her own than to have them forced upon her. It was such a simple lesson for me, but one with excellent value moving forward for the rest of her life.
11.06.2012
Just Be a Fan
It was yet another Saturday where I didn't really want to see the things written on Facebook. Of course I have the option to not look at Facebook at all, so I really shouldn't complain. But I'm going to.
You see, our favorite college football team is not doing so well this year. They have lost several games they probably should have won and just don't seem to be the same quality team we are used to around here. However, I don't think that allows for anyone to put such rude and vulgar comments out there about the team. I have no connection to anyone on the team; they are just my favorite. But did you know those players and coaches are somebody's sons, brothers, husbands, and fathers? Do you think they are trying to lose? Would they come critique you in your job or schooling? Are you so perfect that you never have a bad day or season?
I know the players and coaches choose to be a part of the team and therefore the limelight that comes with it, but I still find it disgusting how people react to something that is just for entertainment. It's not just fans of our favorite team. It is generally fans for any team, anywhere. I've seen disgusting fans at middle school games, watching professional sports, and everywhere in between. Why can't people just be a fan. Is it possible to just cheer for your team? Why must fans critique every part of the game? You aren't the coach. You aren't the player. You aren't the official. You aren't at practice. You aren't on the field during the game. You don't know what it is really like and you aren't qualified to make the decisions for the team. Just cheer for your team. Support them when they win. Support them when they lose. It's okay to be disappointed, but it is not okay to bash coaches and players. It is okay to respectfully state your opinion. It's not okay to make disgusting comments that are ridiculous and immature.
I'm a sports fan, a big sports fan. I get caught up in the moment and I desperately root for my teams sometimes. But when it really comes down to it, it is just a game. I know you could argue that the professional sports are jobs for those men and women, but even so, it is not a matter of life or death. Is your life really going to be better or worse if your team has a championship season or an 0 for season? I love those commercials by the NCAA that point out that most collegiate athletes go pro in something else. These are people. They have lives and dreams and families outside of their sport. I think they should be treated as such.
So, just be a fan. Support your team. You don't get to pick the coach, the starting line-up, or the schedule. If you are going to be a fan, support your team in a positive manner and be a good citizen in your community. They don't need your negative feedback or tough love. They need people who will show up to the games and cheer them on no matter the circumstances.
Rant over.
You see, our favorite college football team is not doing so well this year. They have lost several games they probably should have won and just don't seem to be the same quality team we are used to around here. However, I don't think that allows for anyone to put such rude and vulgar comments out there about the team. I have no connection to anyone on the team; they are just my favorite. But did you know those players and coaches are somebody's sons, brothers, husbands, and fathers? Do you think they are trying to lose? Would they come critique you in your job or schooling? Are you so perfect that you never have a bad day or season?
I know the players and coaches choose to be a part of the team and therefore the limelight that comes with it, but I still find it disgusting how people react to something that is just for entertainment. It's not just fans of our favorite team. It is generally fans for any team, anywhere. I've seen disgusting fans at middle school games, watching professional sports, and everywhere in between. Why can't people just be a fan. Is it possible to just cheer for your team? Why must fans critique every part of the game? You aren't the coach. You aren't the player. You aren't the official. You aren't at practice. You aren't on the field during the game. You don't know what it is really like and you aren't qualified to make the decisions for the team. Just cheer for your team. Support them when they win. Support them when they lose. It's okay to be disappointed, but it is not okay to bash coaches and players. It is okay to respectfully state your opinion. It's not okay to make disgusting comments that are ridiculous and immature.
I'm a sports fan, a big sports fan. I get caught up in the moment and I desperately root for my teams sometimes. But when it really comes down to it, it is just a game. I know you could argue that the professional sports are jobs for those men and women, but even so, it is not a matter of life or death. Is your life really going to be better or worse if your team has a championship season or an 0 for season? I love those commercials by the NCAA that point out that most collegiate athletes go pro in something else. These are people. They have lives and dreams and families outside of their sport. I think they should be treated as such.
So, just be a fan. Support your team. You don't get to pick the coach, the starting line-up, or the schedule. If you are going to be a fan, support your team in a positive manner and be a good citizen in your community. They don't need your negative feedback or tough love. They need people who will show up to the games and cheer them on no matter the circumstances.
Rant over.
11.05.2012
Halloween
For the past two years, nine months, and seven days I have thought a lot more about why we do the things we do. Why do we celebrate certain holidays? Where did that tradition come from? And most importantly, is this something I want to be teaching my child? I have actually spent time researching things like baptism, Santa, and Easter eggs. Although for some reason I have never researched Halloween. I assume I will only find evil beginnings to this interesting holiday. This year on Halloween I found myself asking, "who invented this trick-or-treating anyway? Really, we are going to knock on people's doors and ask them for candy? Doesn't this seem backwards to the types of behaviors I teach my daughter?"
Our Halloween festivities actually began a week before the big day with Fall Fest at our church. Fall Fest is a bunch of games, activities, and treats for kids in costume. Aria had a fabulous time meeting up with all her friends!
She was also on a loop down the giant slide, decorated a cookie, threw Jonah into the whale, and went bowling. In the interest of a massively long post, I won't post pictures of those. Our next event was trick-or-treating at Daddy's work, which is also Aunt Teran's work. I definitely noticed the difference between a church event and a secular event. The costumes were different and so was the attitude. It is fun to see the people Justin works with and we got some cool glasses out of the deal.
And yes, despite my questioning, we did go trick-or-treating. We actually wanted to use it to meet some of our neighbors. We haven't been very good at that in our 1.5 years in this house and our 30 minutes out was profitable. We met and had conversations with three neighbors and at least got to put faces with houses on several others. Aria didn't get a ton of candy and we re-purposed candy she got at a parade, Fall Fest, and Justin's work to hand out after we got home.
I don't feel like Aria learned anything evil and we kept the candy to a minimum so I have accepted Halloween for this year. Next year I plan to create something that we can give as a trade for our treats. Hopefully it will be something that shares the love of Jesus with our neighbors. Because I believe God is present in everything we do, as long as you bring him out to share!
Our Halloween festivities actually began a week before the big day with Fall Fest at our church. Fall Fest is a bunch of games, activities, and treats for kids in costume. Aria had a fabulous time meeting up with all her friends!
She was also on a loop down the giant slide, decorated a cookie, threw Jonah into the whale, and went bowling. In the interest of a massively long post, I won't post pictures of those. Our next event was trick-or-treating at Daddy's work, which is also Aunt Teran's work. I definitely noticed the difference between a church event and a secular event. The costumes were different and so was the attitude. It is fun to see the people Justin works with and we got some cool glasses out of the deal.
And yes, despite my questioning, we did go trick-or-treating. We actually wanted to use it to meet some of our neighbors. We haven't been very good at that in our 1.5 years in this house and our 30 minutes out was profitable. We met and had conversations with three neighbors and at least got to put faces with houses on several others. Aria didn't get a ton of candy and we re-purposed candy she got at a parade, Fall Fest, and Justin's work to hand out after we got home.
I don't feel like Aria learned anything evil and we kept the candy to a minimum so I have accepted Halloween for this year. Next year I plan to create something that we can give as a trade for our treats. Hopefully it will be something that shares the love of Jesus with our neighbors. Because I believe God is present in everything we do, as long as you bring him out to share!
10.27.2012
Politics
I'm kind of an oxymoron when it comes to politics. I used to teach American history from the build up to the Revolutionary War to the aftermath of the Civil War. I absolutely loved it! I love the history, the wars, the politics, the shaping of our country, the development of our government. Oh so interesting!!
Politics now...yuck!
Don't get me wrong, I am still very interested in government and how our country works. I just can't stand the advertising, the bashing of the other candidate, the doorbell ringing during naptime, the signs in yards, the junk mail, the pressure to vote a certain way because of such and such affiliation, the commercials, the fake make everyone happy answers, the taking things out of context, and did I mention the advertising?!?!!
I am so happy to be an American where I have the right to vote, especially as a woman, and I want to fulfill my civic duty. But quite honestly, I don't really want to vote for either presidential candidate. And there are a lot of other races where neither one really trips my trigger. I've been trying to educate myself so I can choose the candidates that are similar to my beliefs, values, faith, etc, but a lot of what I read just confuses me more. It's not because of the advertising or the snippets taken out of context. My pastor recommended a couple websites that are pretty good at just giving information about where the candidates stand. The problem is, the candidates answer the hot topic questions so carefully they don't really pick a side. Take the sanctity of marriage, for example, I've read several opinions from opposing candidates that are so similar. Basically, they don't want to pick a side because they don't want to lose any voters. So who am I supposed to pick?
I think my biggest conflict is I'm mostly a stereotypical Republican when it comes to faith and values and the "more conservative" point of view, but the next passion in my heart is teaching and education and most of the time the Democrats are the way to go for education. I'm having a hard time picking one issue and voting just on that issue.
I think it is easy this election season to say the last four years haven't been stellar and change is needed. But is it all really President Obama's fault? And is Mr. Romney really the solution? I also struggle with knowing as a Christ follower, the recommended choice is Romney, but he is NOT a Christ follower. President Obama's religion is listed as Christian, but I guess I don't really know if he's a Christ follower, either. Believe me, there is a difference.
I know there is a lot that goes into being President of the United States of America, but I really wish I could vote for a candidate that would promise to follow Jesus with all of his/her heart. That loving others, serving others, giving up yourself, and proclaiming the great news of the Gospel would be this candidate's primary mission. Wouldn't that take care of a lot of things? When I think about the problems in our country, a lot of times I think it boils down to people needing Jesus. If I could vote for a president who would lead our country the way Jesus led while he was here on earth, it would make my life so much easier.
Until that option is available, I just want all the campaigners out there to know, none of you will persuade my vote with any of your advertisements, naptime visits, or gentle nudgings. My vote will be decided through prayer and the leading of the Holy Spirit who has way more wisdom than me.
Politics now...yuck!
Don't get me wrong, I am still very interested in government and how our country works. I just can't stand the advertising, the bashing of the other candidate, the doorbell ringing during naptime, the signs in yards, the junk mail, the pressure to vote a certain way because of such and such affiliation, the commercials, the fake make everyone happy answers, the taking things out of context, and did I mention the advertising?!?!!
I am so happy to be an American where I have the right to vote, especially as a woman, and I want to fulfill my civic duty. But quite honestly, I don't really want to vote for either presidential candidate. And there are a lot of other races where neither one really trips my trigger. I've been trying to educate myself so I can choose the candidates that are similar to my beliefs, values, faith, etc, but a lot of what I read just confuses me more. It's not because of the advertising or the snippets taken out of context. My pastor recommended a couple websites that are pretty good at just giving information about where the candidates stand. The problem is, the candidates answer the hot topic questions so carefully they don't really pick a side. Take the sanctity of marriage, for example, I've read several opinions from opposing candidates that are so similar. Basically, they don't want to pick a side because they don't want to lose any voters. So who am I supposed to pick?
I think my biggest conflict is I'm mostly a stereotypical Republican when it comes to faith and values and the "more conservative" point of view, but the next passion in my heart is teaching and education and most of the time the Democrats are the way to go for education. I'm having a hard time picking one issue and voting just on that issue.
I think it is easy this election season to say the last four years haven't been stellar and change is needed. But is it all really President Obama's fault? And is Mr. Romney really the solution? I also struggle with knowing as a Christ follower, the recommended choice is Romney, but he is NOT a Christ follower. President Obama's religion is listed as Christian, but I guess I don't really know if he's a Christ follower, either. Believe me, there is a difference.
I know there is a lot that goes into being President of the United States of America, but I really wish I could vote for a candidate that would promise to follow Jesus with all of his/her heart. That loving others, serving others, giving up yourself, and proclaiming the great news of the Gospel would be this candidate's primary mission. Wouldn't that take care of a lot of things? When I think about the problems in our country, a lot of times I think it boils down to people needing Jesus. If I could vote for a president who would lead our country the way Jesus led while he was here on earth, it would make my life so much easier.
Until that option is available, I just want all the campaigners out there to know, none of you will persuade my vote with any of your advertisements, naptime visits, or gentle nudgings. My vote will be decided through prayer and the leading of the Holy Spirit who has way more wisdom than me.
10.24.2012
2nd Annual Pegump Pumpkin Carve/Paint
Last year we started a pumpkin carving tradition. Or Justin and I carved pumpkins for the first time in our adult lives.
Not bad for pumpkin carving rookies!
This year we decided to make it a tradition to devote a family time to pumpkin decorating. We aren't quite ready to let Aria use the knife, so she got to paint instead!
Daddy carved a nice face into his pumpkin
Mommy was given the task of producing Mickey Mouse
And while Mommy slaved away for hours...
Daddy and Aria played games!
We had a lot of fun carving and decorating together this year! Aria actually touched the "guts" of the pumpkin, which she wouldn't do last year. We also roasted the pumpkin seeds and ate those. It was a fun Saturday morning!
Not bad for pumpkin carving rookies!
This year we decided to make it a tradition to devote a family time to pumpkin decorating. We aren't quite ready to let Aria use the knife, so she got to paint instead!
Daddy carved a nice face into his pumpkin
Mommy was given the task of producing Mickey Mouse
And while Mommy slaved away for hours...
Daddy and Aria played games!
We had a lot of fun carving and decorating together this year! Aria actually touched the "guts" of the pumpkin, which she wouldn't do last year. We also roasted the pumpkin seeds and ate those. It was a fun Saturday morning!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)